About Me – Sophie Explains

Hi! I’m Sophie!

👩‍💻I’m a career coach for corporate women who feel stuck, unfulfilled, or lost in their jobs. I help them find career path clarity and build the confidence they need to achieve their career goals!

😅I know the struggle- I’ve pivoted and shifted careers multiple times since I graduated pre-med in 2013. When I graduated, I made the decision not to pursue medical school, and instead try start-up life at a clean-energy company. There I worked my way up from customer service to Director of Operations within two years. I realized I had a passion for business!

📈I ended up following the start-up company across the country from Florida to Massachusetts where I interviewed and trained new employees, improved processes, and helped with business strategy.

🏝Missing the warm weather, I eventually moved back to Miami, FL where I convinced a small-business consulting company not actively hiring that I could help them grow with my prior experience. I was hired as an Operations and Project Manager and there I learned everything from web-design to sales to bookkeeping. This sparked my decision to go back to school for a Masters of Accounting degree.

💸And here I am today! I earned my CPA license, and am now a senior associate at a large public accounting firm. My role consists of managing teams, projects, and clients, but my favorite part of the job is the ability to shape careers and inspire others through my role in local and national councils, recruiting, and teaching.

❤️Although I have achieved a great reputation at work, I consider my biggest personal success to be this blog, sophieexplains.com, where I have been able to express my enthusiasm for empowering women in a tangible and real way since 2017. My goal is to grow a community of women that support and encourage each other to follow their career dreams!

🥳Inspired by my own career journey, starting today, I’m pivoting Sophie Explains! My Instagram account and my blog will focus specifically on helping corporate women find clarity in their career paths and build confidence needed to make necessary career pivots that lead to fulfillment and happiness. Thank you for joining me! 😄

-Sophie

Hi, I’m Sophie!

When I graduated from the University of Miami in 2013, I thought I wanted to go to medical school. Through a series of events, I ended up working at a startup clean-energy company and then a small-business consulting company. This was how I discovered my true passion lay in empowering women in business.

In 2017, I set two new goals for myself.

One: Obtain a Masters in Accounting, so I could learn more about business to change the current “norms,” and

Two: Start a personal finance and career-focused blog as a way to immediately share digestible, how-to knowledge with friends and family.

Which “current norms” in business did I want to change? Let me throw some facts at you. Did you know:

Men hold 62% of manager-level positions, while women hold just 38% (Source: Women in the Workplace).
Women earn 82 cents for every $1 earned by white men (Source: Center for American Progress).
And the statistics related to Black women and women of color are even more staggering. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 58 Black women were promoted. (Source: Women in the Workplace).

My mission is to effect change from both the inside and out.

My “Inside” Job: Currently, I work at Grant Thornton, a large public accounting firm, as an audit senior associate. My role has evolved from creating spreadsheets to managing teams, projects, and clients. My favorite part of the job is the ability to shape careers and inspire others through recruiting and teaching.

I have worked very hard to strive to be at the top of my performance and have been taught by some amazing female coaches. By my third year, I knew I stood out from the crowd. I was chosen to sit on a local and national council to help shape the firm’s culture and help our people grow. I take these roles very seriously and use my privilege to do everything I can to address the challenges that women face in the business world. I am grateful for this opportunity!

My Outside Mission: Although I have achieved a great reputation at work, I consider my biggest personal success to be this blog. Sophie Explains has been my passion project since 2017. I have been able to express my enthusiasm for empowering women in a tangible and real way. My dream goal is to grow this blog into a community of women that support and encourage each other to follow their dreams through smart, attainable steps.

As many of you may already know, I absolutely love Japanese culture. I recently learned the Japanese word “ikigai,” which means life-purpose. I truly believe my ikigai is to help women achieve their personal and professional goals!

How can I help you?

If you are…

Considering a career change (such as medicine to business)
Looking for ways to improve your finances (through budgeting or starting a side-hustle)
Aiming for a promotion within the next year (and need guidance on how to set yourself up for success)
Stuck or frustrated with your current career path (and want to talk with someone who has overcome this struggle)
Applying for jobs in accounting (such as audit)

Let me know!

The fastest way to reach me is through a private message on Instagram (@sophieexplains). Send me your questions or concerns, and I’ll help however I can. Whether it’s giving you advice from my own experience or referring you to a helpful resource, I got you!

Thanks so much, and I hope to hear from you soon!!

-Sophie